California, Here We Come! (rather - There We Went!)

 

 Hello from Sunny California!  Actually, we got back Monday night from San Luis Obispo in central Cali along the coast.  My nephew got married on the beach at Avila Golf Resort.  It was a beautiful place and lovely setting for a wedding!  My sister, Lisa, and her husband, my parents and Tony and I went to help celebrate this happy occasion!  The weather was perfect, and it was SO nice to get away from the Texas heatwave!  I know why people love living in California!

We got to Cali a day early and our plane flew into Santa Barbara so we took in the beautiful mission while we were passing through.  Here's me, Lisa and mom...

 

If you've never been there, the grounds are beautiful and there is a wonderful rose garden across the front of the property.  Many different kinds and colors of roses, but MY favorite is always The Yellow Rose of Texas!

 

Avila Beach Golf Resort is near San Luis Obispo so that's where we decided to stay - it's a pretty little town and has its own mission, too, which I'll show you in another post.  I just love the landscape out there with the mountains and eucalyptus trees.  It was quite dry this time of year and the grass was brown and crunchy, but it was nice to see something different...

 At the wedding, here's my nephew walking his mom, my sister Lisa, down the aisle.  It was a beautiful and informal wedding.  The bride chose lime green and black as her colors and it was gorgeous!  Isn't Lisa pretty! 

 My nephew's bride was stunning.  She's a beautiful young lady and they will make a handsome couple (and cute babies!)  And the best part is, they are moving home to Texas!  My nephew has been in the Navy and he put in for a transfer to Texas!  I'm So thrilled that he's going to be closer to his mom!

After the wedding festivities were over, we stayed a few extra days to have some R & R.  Took the family to the beach and  played...  Whatever we felt like doing!  Aren't vacations wonderful!

 

On one of our beach excursions, we spotted these lazy things laying on the beach - sea lions.  (sometimes I feel like this after a big meal, too!)  There were a couple of big males out in the water scuffling and making horrible noises with those big snouts of theirs.

 Well, so as not to make this post too picture-heavy, I'll close for now and post some more pics next time.  We visited the Hearst castle again with the family and I think the flowers were even more beautiful this visit!  Thanks to all of you who stopped by to say hi and let me know you're still my blogging buddy!  :)

Denver Visit to Our Kiddos...

Mornin', y'all!  How y'all doin'?  I'm fine as frog's hair split four ways!   If I's any better, I'd be twins!

OK, I'll try to control myself and use good English and grammar.  Don't hate me if I fall back into my hick self...  :)   I write like I talk...  what can I say.

We've been out of town the last few days - went to Denver to see our Kiwi Kids (guess I'll always think of them that way...actually, I should call them gypsies or vagabonds cuz no telling where they're going to land after their stint in Denver...)   Josh and Lindsey picked us up from the airport and we had such fun with them on Saturday!

 We drove around Denver (first time we'd actually been IN Denver proper) and we drove through the mountains and went to Georgetown, which is a cute little Victorian-type mountain village.  It was so cute, and we did some window-shopping and TONS of visiting.  Later that evening, we went to Landry's Seafood.  Mass quantities of crab-artichoke-spinach dip, crawfish etouffee, shrimp fettuccine, steak, fried shrimp/fish were consumed.  We fairly WADDLED out the door.

 

Here, Josh is working one of those horseshoe puzzles and Lindsey is waiting to see if he really can do it!  And HE DOES!  (He used to have one... I wonder if he told her?)

It was SO good to hug and kiss those kids. They probably got tired of all the affection - especially from their mom, but I really don't care.  Actually, they were glad to see somebody from home, too.  They moved up there in November and nobody's been up there yet to see them.  What with the holidays and snow...

 

 

This guy is trying to shovel his car out of the snow...

 

Speaking of snow.  Colorado got it's first and biggest snowstorm of the year while we were there. Yep, that's right!  Came a blizzard on Sunday, and we were trapped in the hotel all day long!!!   12-24 inches all over the Denver area.  I'm telling you, THIS MOMMA was UPSET thinking I wasn't going to see my kids again before we left on Monday!!!  There were many tears shed and much nashing of teeth and stomping of feet and whining going on in room 219.

Never fear - My brave son put on his snow armor and came to his momma's rescue!!!  He waited til after the snow plows had made their rounds many times over late in the afternoon and he came to see us at the hotel!  We did not want them to get out and drive but he did anyway.  He just called and said, "I'll be there in two minutes!"

Boy howdy - was this Momma HAPPY!!!!!   Jumpin up and down happy!!!  I was all smiles after we got that call!!!   More hugs and kisses and some visiting and then we urged him to go home before the roads were covered up again.  Those snow plows ran all night long.  The kids had to go to work just like everybody else Monday morning.  They are getting used to being Colorado residents and dealing with snow and driving...

 

It IS quite beautiful Monday morning here and you can see the mountains in the distance. See how much Denver got?

Excuse me, I love Colorado and it's SO beautiful - been there several times - but I COULD NOT LIVE WHERE IT SNOWS ALL THE TIME.  You cain't take the "Texas" outta this girl.  Give me the heat and humidity any day!  (Ask me again if I still think that in August...)

We went on to the airport on Monday - slow taxi ride which cost us $90 (had to pick myself up off the floor of the car) but we knew that'd probably happen.  I was watching that meter. tick-tick-tick...  The driver was a nice lady but she talked the entire time.  "Hey Lady - could you just step on it a little bit???"  She was being careful and I appreciated that, but there WERE cars going faster than us.  Then we spent the entire day in Denver International Airport with all the Sunday customers that didn't get to fly because of the bad weather. Lots of cancelled flights and delays.  Our flight to DFW was delayed over an hour.  Guess I should count myself lucky.  We were SO GLAD to see that beautiful Dallas skyline after we got our car and headed home to East Texas!

Now I've saved the best photo for last...  It's either a Colossal  "FAIL"  or...

I HAVE A HALO!  (and Tony doesn't)

 

YOU  BE  THE  JUDGE !!!!

Cape Cod and Nantucket Island - End of the Road...

Hi friends - WARNING --- PHOTO HEAVY!

Here's the end of our trip to New England.  Cape Cod was awesome - we could have spent another day there.  We ate lots of seafood, took a fast ferry over to Nantucket Island and drove all the way out to the end of the Cape.  It was fabulous.  It was cold when it was cloudy and when you get near the water, but not too bad in town!  I'm just going to let you look, and I'll tell you when we go out to Nantucket!

Cape Cod National Seashore... my mother asked me if I was going to the bathroom in this picture. Thanks Mom...

I do not know who this lunatic is...  he probably was arrested.

We ended this day eating at a wharf-side restaurant when it got dark.  It was expensive, Black Cat Seafood, I think, and it was so good.  Lobster Newburg and stuffed shrimp, chowder, broccoli and baked potatoes. MMMMMMM!

Pizza the next night before we left for Boston to fly home.  :(((

Next morning, we took the ferry going out to Nantucket Island. The day turned out beautiful!

Don't you LOVE these little green pots with cabbages?  So simple and so cute!

Look who's driving!  Oh shoot, Gypsy saw this little Cooper. Now she's wantin' one!

Saying goodbye to Nantucket Island...  

and Cape Cod is welcoming us back for another night...

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!  It was a great trip - hope to do it again someday!  If you get a chance you HAVE to take this trip!  Over and out~~~

Thanks for lookin!